# US import prices rise 0.7% in August and are 7.0% higher than a year earlier

> Nonfuel import prices climbed 0.8% while fuel prices slipped 0.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on 16 September. Export prices rose 0.6% after falling 1.4% in July.

- Canonical URL: https://forextradingcommunity.com/news/us-import-prices-august-2026/
- Type: Data
- Published: 2026-09-17
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Publisher: Forex Trading Community (https://forextradingcommunity.com), FTC Editorial Team
- Currencies: USD

The Bureau of Labor Statistics published its import and export price indexes for August 2026 on 16 September, the day the Federal Reserve raised interest rates.

## Import prices

- **All imports**: up 0.7% from July, and 7.0% higher than in August 2025
- **Fuel imports**: down 0.1%
- **Nonfuel imports**: up 0.8%

## Export prices

- **All exports**: up 0.6% in August, after a 1.4% fall in July
- **Over 12 months**: up 8.6%
- **Agricultural exports**: up 0.5%

## Why these numbers matter

Import prices feed into what businesses pay for materials and what shoppers pay for imported goods, usually with a delay. In August the increase didn't come from oil: fuel import prices edged down, while prices of other imported goods rose 0.8%.

The index measures the prices paid to foreign sellers and excludes import duties, so tariffs themselves aren't counted in it.

## The inflation picture

Other August price data point the same way. Consumer prices rose 3.4% on a year earlier ([report](/news/us-cpi-august-2026-inflation-3-4-percent/)) and producer prices 5.4% ([report](/news/us-producer-prices-august-2026/)). The Fed raised its target range to 3.75%–4.00% and now projects PCE inflation of 3.7% for 2026 ([report](/news/fed-raises-rates-september-2026/)), while retail sales rose 1.2% in August ([report](/news/us-retail-sales-august-2026/)).

For currency traders, import prices are a second-tier release: they rarely move the dollar on their own, but they help show whether inflation pressure is broadening. Live prices: [EUR/USD](/markets/eur-usd/) and [USD/JPY](/markets/usd-jpy/).

## Sources

- [US Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes, August 2026](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ximpim.nr0.htm)

## Common questions

### How much did US import prices rise in August 2026?

Import prices rose 0.7% in August 2026 and were 7.0% higher than a year earlier. Nonfuel import prices rose 0.8% and fuel import prices fell 0.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

### Do US import prices include tariffs?

No. The import price index measures prices paid to foreign sellers and excludes import duties, so tariffs are not part of it.

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